MCGUIRE v. UNION COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE et al

Filing 9

ORDER on informal application granting request to extend the deadline to respond to interrogatories and document request; AMENDED PRETRIAL SCHEDULING ORDER: Settlement Conference set for 9/13/2011 01:30 PM before Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz., Tele phone Status Conference set for 11/9/2011 09:30 AM before Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz., Final Pretrial Conference set for 3/6/2012 10:00 AM before Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz., Fact Discovery due by 12/7/2011., Proposed Pretrial Order due by 2/28/2012.). Signed by Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz on 07/19/2011. (nr, )

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY
____________________________________
:
STEPEHEN MCGUIRE
:
Plaintiff
:
:
v.
:
:
UNION COUNTY PROSECUTOR’S
:
OFFICE
:
:
Defendant
:
:
____________________________________:

Civil Action No. 11-1989(FSH)

ORDER ON INFORMAL
APPLICATION & AMENDED
PRETRIAL SCHEDULING ORDER

This matter having come before the Court by way of letter dated July 18, 2011, regarding
the plaintiff's request to extend the deadline to respond to interrogatories and document demands
because more time is need to produce documents; and the Court being advised that the
defendants consent to this request; and this extension having no impact on other deadlines; and
for good cause shown,
IT IS ON THIS 19TH day of July, 2011
ORDERED that the request to extend the deadline to respond to interrogatories and
document demands is granted as set forth herein;
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED THAT:
I. COURT DATES
1.
There shall be a telephone status conference before the Undersigned on
November 9, 2011 at 9:30 a.m. Plaintiff shall initiate the telephone call.

2.
a. There will be a settlement conference before the Undersigned on September 13,
2011 at 1:30 p.m.
b. Trial counsel and clients with full settlement authority are required to appear at
the conference and they shall confirm their availability to appear on the date of the conference by
filing a letter no later than September 6, 2011. Absent exceptional, unforeseen personal
circumstances, the confirmed settlement conference will not be adjourned.
c. If the trial counsel and client with full settlement authority do not appear, the
settlement conference may be cancelled or rescheduled and the noncompliant party and/or attorney
may be sanctioned, which may include an assessment of the costs and expenses incurred by those
parties who appeared as directed.

3.
The final pretrial conference shall be conducted pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 16(d) on
March 6, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. The Final Pretrial Conference will occur even if there are
dispositive motions pending. The Court will adjourn the Final Pretrial conference only if the
requesting party makes a compelling showing that manifest injustice would otherwise result absent
adjournment.
II. DISCOVERY AND MOTION PRACTICE
4.

a. Fed. R. Civ. P. 26 disclosures are to be exchanged on or before completed.

b. No later than deadline passed, the parties shall submit a proposed discovery
confidentiality order and certification as required by Local Civ. R. 5.3 1.
5.

Discovery necessary to engage in meaningful settlement discussions:

(a) plaintiff’s personnel file and (b) plaintiff’s deposition which will be produced/completed by
September 6, 2011.
6.
a. The parties may serve interrogatories limited to 25 single questions including
subparts and requests for production of documents on or before deadline passed, which shall be
responded to no later than August 5, 2011.
7.
The number of depositions to be taken by each side shall not exceed 10. No
objections to questions posed at depositions shall be made other than as to lack of foundation, form
or privilege. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 32(d) (3) (A). No instruction not to answer shall be given unless a
privilege is implicated. The depositions are to be completed no later than December 7, 2011.
8.
Fact discovery is to remain open through December 7, 2011. No discovery
is to be issued or engaged in beyond that date, except upon application and for good cause shown.
9.
Counsel shall confer in a good faith attempt to informally resolve any and all
discovery disputes before seeking the Court’s intervention. Should such informal effort fail to
resolve the dispute, the matter shall be brought to the Court's attention via a joint letter that sets
forth: (a) the request, (b) the response; (c) efforts to resolve the dispute; (d) why the complaining
party believes the information is relevant and why the responding party’s response continues to be
deficient; and (e) why the responding party believes the response is sufficient. No further
submissions regarding the dispute may be submitted without leave of Court. If necessary, the
Court will thereafter schedule a telephone conference to resolve the dispute.
No discovery motion or motion for sanctions for failure to provide discovery shall

1

If a party seeks to file under seal information submitted in connection with a request for nondiscovery relief, then the party shall: (1) consult Local Civ. R. 5.3 and (2) contact the Chambers of
the Undersigned for instructions regarding the format for presenting such a motion.

be filed before utilizing the procedures set forth in these paragraphs without prior leave of Court.
Any unresolved discovery disputes (other than those that arise during depositions)
must be brought before the Court no later than August 16, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. The Court will not
entertain applications concerning discovery matters, informally or otherwise, after this date. If an
unresolved dispute arises at a deposition, then the parties shall contact the Chambers of the
Undersigned for assistance during the deposition.
10.

Any motion to amend pleadings or join parties must be filed by none.

11.
All dispositive motions shall be discussed in advance of filing with the Undersigned
either in person or by teleconference. Any and all dispositive motions must be filed no later than
January 13, 2012 and must be comply with Local Rule 7.1. No pretrial dispositive motions will
be entertained after that date. Any responses shall be submitted no later than January 23, 2012
and any replies shall be submitted no later than January 30, 2012. The return date shall be
February 6, 2012 before the Hon. Faith S. Hochberg. Her Honor’s chambers will advise the
parties if oral argument will be required.
III. EXPERTS
12.

All affirmative expert reports shall be delivered by October 12, 2011.

13.

All responding expert reports shall be delivered by November 12, 2011.

14.
a. All expert reports are to be in the form and content as required by Fed. R. Civ. P.
26(a) (2)(B). No expert shall testify at trial as to any opinions or base those opinions on facts not
substantially disclosed in the experts report.
b. All expert depositions shall be completed by December 7, 2011.
c. Daubert motions shall be filed no later than January 13, 2012.
IV. FINAL PRETRIAL CONFERENCE
15.
The final pretrial conference shall be conducted pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 16(d) on
March 6, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. The final pretrial conference will occur even if dispositive
motions are pending. The Court will adjourn the Final Pretrial conference only if the requesting
party makes a compelling showing that manifest injustice would otherwise result absent
adjournment.
16.
Not later than 20 working days before the pretrial conference, the parties shall
exchange copies of all proposed trial exhibits. Each exhibit shall be pre-marked with an exhibit
number conforming to the party’s exhibit list.
17.
All counsel are directed to assemble at the office of Plaintiff's counsel not later than
ten (10) days before the pretrial conference to prepare the proposed Joint Final Pretrial Order in

the form and content required by the Court. Plaintiff's counsel shall prepare the Joint Pretrial Order
and shall submit it to all other counsel for approval and execution.
18.
With respect to non-jury trials, each party shall submit to the District Judge and to
opposing counsel proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, trial briefs and any
hypothetical questions to be put to an expert witness on direct examination.
19.
The original of the Final Pretrial Order shall be delivered to the CHAMBERS of the
Undersigned no later than February 28, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. All counsel are responsible for the
timely submission of the Pretrial Order.
20.

The Court expects to engage in meaningful settlement discussions at the final
pretrial
conference. Therefore, trial counsel who actually has full settlement authority must attend the
conference and clients or other persons with full settlement authority must be available by
telephone.
V. MISCELLANEOUS
21.
The Court may from time to time schedule conferences as may be required, either
sua sponte or at the request of a party.
22.
Since all dates set forth herein are established with the assistance and knowledge of
counsel, there will be no extensions except for good cause shown and by leave of Court, even with
consent of all counsel. Any request to extend any deadline or to adjourn a court event shall be
made no later than three days before the scheduled date and shall reflect: (1) the good cause the
requesting party believes supports the extension or adjournment and (2) whether or not all parties
consent to the request. Absent unforeseen emergent circumstances, the Court will not entertain
requests to extend deadlines that have passed as of the date of the request.
23.
A copy of every pleading, document or written communication with the Court shall
be served on all other parties to the action. Any such communication which does not recite or
contain a certification of such service may be disregarded by the Court.
24.
Absent permission from Chambers, communications to the Court by facsimile will
not be accepted. All communications to the Court shall be in writing or by telephone conference.

25.
FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE TERMS OF THIS ORDER MAY
RESULT IN SANCTIONS.
s/Patty Shwartz
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE